Around 1985, Chesnutt moved to Athens and joined the band, The La-Di-Da's. After leaving that group he began performing solo on a regular basis at the 40 Watt Club; it was there that he was spotted by Michael Stipe of R.E.M.; Stipe produced Chesnutt's first two albums, Little (1990) and West of Rome (1991).
In 1992 Chesnutt was the subject of a PBS documentary, Speed Racer. He also had a small role in the 1996 Billy Bob Thornton movie Sling Blade which he later described self-mockingly as a poor performance.
In 1996, Chesnutt was exposed to a wider audience with the release of the tribute album Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation, the proceeds from which went to the Sweet Relief Fund. The album consisted of Chesnutt covers by famous musicians including Garbage, The Smashing Pumpkins (with Red Red Meat), Madonna, R.E.M. and Live.
He recorded several times with other groups and artists. Most notably he made two albums with fellow Athens, GA recording artist Widespread Panic, under the name of brute. Chesnutt's album The Salesman and Bernadette (1998) was recorded with alt-country group Lambchop as the backing band. The album Merriment was a collaborative effort between Chesnutt and Kelly and Nikki Keneipp, with Vic writing and singing the songs, and the Keneipps playing the music. The 2005 album Ghetto Bells features famed guitarist Bill Frisell, whom Chesnutt met in 2004 at the renowned Century of Song concert series at the German festival RuhrTriennale. Chesnutt's wife, Tina Chesnutt, frequently plays bass on his albums. His niece, and fellow songwriter, Liz Durrett also appeared on the Ghetto Bells album.
Chesnutt's first four albums were released on the independent Texas Hotel label. He then recorded About to Choke (1996) for Capitol, which was his first and only major record label recording. The Salesman and Bernadette (1998) was on PolyGram; Merriment (2000) was on the Backburner Records label; spinART was the label for the self performed and recorded Left to His Own Devices (2001). Vic then found a new home at the New West Records label, who have released two albums for him so far. In 2004 New West also re-released the early Texas Hotel recordings, including expanded liner notes and extra tracks.
In the winter of 2006, he recorded his newest album, North Star Deserter at the Hotel2Tango in Montreal. It was released on September 11, 2007 by Constellation Records. The record includes contributions from Constellation artists Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, as well as Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto. The album was produced by documentary filmmaker Jem Cohen. He also appeared as a guest musician on Cowboy Junkies' 2007 album Trinity Revisited, a 20th anniversary edition of their classic album The Trinity Session.
On Dec 25th 2009, Vic Chesnutt died after falling into a coma following a suicide attempt.
Official Website: Vic Chesnutt
Look At Me
Vic Chesnutt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Plowing forth, unsteady and unsturdy but
I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I win a prize
I'm still alive
Yeah look at me, pushing forty
Suiting up for another sortie and
I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I win a prize
It may not be pretty my life up to here,
But something bold and beautiful occurred, I'm not interred
You look at me as a tragic figure
One frivolous moment, I beg to differ cause
I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I win a prize, I'm still alive
I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I win a prize, I'm still alive
It may not be pretty my life up to here,
But something bold and beautiful occurred,
I'm not interred
Vic Chesnutt's song "Look at Me" is a powerful expression of determination and resilience. The lyrics describe the experience of being in one's thirties and forties and feeling unsteady and uncertain, but persevering nonetheless. Chesnutt acknowledges that his life may not be perfect, but he finds beauty and strength in the fact that he has survived thus far. In the face of others' perceptions of him as a tragic figure, he rejects this label and asserts that he is still alive and deserving of recognition for that fact.
The song's tone is somewhat plaintive, but also triumphant, as Chesnutt repeats the refrain "I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I win a prize." He seems to be celebrating his own resilience and determination, and urging others to do the same. The most poignant line in the song may be "something bold and beautiful occurred," which suggests that even in the face of difficulty and struggle, there can be moments of grace and hope.
Overall, "Look at Me" is a song about the resilience and power of the human spirit, and the ways in which we can find beauty and strength even in the midst of struggle. It is a reminder that no matter how difficult life may be, we have the ability to persevere and thrive, and that there is something inherently valuable in the fact that we are still alive.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah Look at me in my thirties
Despite being unsteady and unstable, I am still alive and thriving in my thirties.
Plowing forth, unsteady and unsturdy but
Although I may not have it all together, I am still pushing forward with determination.
I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I win a prize
I have faced challenges and obstacles, but I have come out victorious and deserving of recognition.
Yeah look at me, pushing forty
I am approaching the age of 40, but I am not letting that deter me from continuing to live life fully.
Suiting up for another sortie and
I am preparing myself for another battle or challenge, ready to take it on with all I've got.
It may not be pretty my life up to here,
I may have gone through some rough patches and made mistakes, but that is not all there is to me.
But something bold and beautiful occurred, I'm not interred
Despite the challenges, something amazing happened in my life and I am not buried or defeated by it.
You look at me as a tragic figure
Some may see me as someone with a sad and pitiable story.
One frivolous moment, I beg to differ cause
However, I disagree that my life is defined by a single insignificant moment or mistake.
I'm still alive, I'm still alive, I win a prize, I'm still alive
Despite everything, I am still here, winning at life and deserving of recognition for it.
It may not be pretty my life up to here,
Once again, I acknowledge that my life has not been perfect, but that is not the whole picture.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: VIC CHESNUTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nulsh
Thanks for posting. I love this song. Had to hear it, when the discussion on WFMU today was "which song gets you emotionally" - this sprang to my mind.
Jeff Gladstone
Thank you! It's such a beautiful song. I wish more people knew about Vic Chesnutt's songwriting powers 🖤